'Nearly lost his life': Man put into medically induced coma after suffering lung damage from vaping

'Nearly lost his life': Man put into medically induced coma after suffering lung damage from vaping

Wisconsin resident hospitalized after having trouble breathing

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 7:54 PM EDT Jul 26, 2019

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

HERE’S 12 NEWS CHERNEY AMHARA . >> OUTGOING, ATHLETIC AND FULL OF ENERGY, THAT’S HOW PATRICK DEGRAVE USED TO DESCRIBE HIS LITTLE BROTHER, BUT NOW. >> HE IS IN REALLY, REALLY BAD SHAPE. HE WAS IN MONDAY MORNING WITH A FEVER AND BAD COUGH. BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT, HE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO BREATHE ON HIS OWN. >> THIS MAN SAYS HIS BROTHER IS IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA AT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OF BURLINGTON. HE DIDN’T WANT TO SHARE HIS BROTHER’S NAME, BUT GAVE US THESE PHOTOS OF HIM IN THE HOSPITAL. HE SAID THIS IS WHAT IS TO BLAME. >> VAPING. IT WAS A VILE THAT WAS A BAD VIAL. WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT WAS IN THE VIAL. >> DEGRAVE SAID HIS BROTHER BOUGHT THE CARTRIDGE ON THE STREET. >> SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HIS LUNGS, BOTH SHORT AND TERM -- AND LONG-TERM, AND TO HIS HEART AS WELL. >> HIS STORY IS COMING TO LIGHT AS DOCTORS AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF WISCONSIN SEND OUT A SIMILAR WARNING. AND WITH VAPING ONLY GROWING IN POPULARITY, DEGRAVE TELLS ME, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO STAY SILENT. >> I WANT TO DO WHAT I CAN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE. DERRICK: 12 NEWS CHECKED WITH AURORA MEMORIAL, THE HOSPITAL SAYS THE MAN IS THE ONLY PATIENT THEY’RE TREATING WITH LUNG ISSUES BECAUSE OF VAPING. THE CITY OF RACINE ALSO ISSUED

A Wisconsin man was hospitalized after he became sick from vaping."These street vapes are very, very dangerous. My brother nearly lost his life," said Patrick DeGrave, the victim's brother.The last few days have been touch and go for the Burlington man."The trauma that he caused to his lungs is significant; the trauma that he caused to his heart is significant," DeGrave said.Patrick DeGrave's brother went to Aurora Memorial Hospital after he started having issues breathing. At first, doctors thought it might be pneumonia, but they soon realized it was something else."These vapes can cost you your life," DeGrave said.DeGrave said it was a vape cartridge that contained THC that took his brother's health."Within 24 hours, he was being medically sedated and being put in a medically induced coma," DeGrave said.DeGrave said his brother, who is in his mid-20s, bought the vape vials off the street. His warning comes on the same day doctors at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin issued a similar alert."Vaping in teenagers is something that's harming our kids, and we want that to be loud and clear," said Dr. Michael Gutzeit, chief medical officer.Children's Hospital treated eight patients in just four weeks with severe lung damage. All had a common thread of vaping."We don't have lot of information about the long-term effects and sometimes even the short-term effects," Gutzeit said.DeGrave isn't sure what's next for his brother, but he doesn't want someone else to make the same mistake."It's wait and see," DeGrave said. "We're uncertain right now if he'll ever fully recover from this."The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is investigating the cases at Children's Hospital. It's unclear what type of vapes are involved and where they were bought.

BURLINGTON, Wis. (WITI) —

A Wisconsin man was hospitalized after he became sick from vaping.

"These street vapes are very, very dangerous. My brother nearly lost his life," said Patrick DeGrave, the victim's brother.

Advertisement

The last few days have been touch and go for the Burlington man.

"The trauma that he caused to his lungs is significant; the trauma that he caused to his heart is significant," DeGrave said.

Patrick DeGrave's brother went to Aurora Memorial Hospital after he started having issues breathing. At first, doctors thought it might be pneumonia, but they soon realized it was something else.

"These vapes can cost you your life," DeGrave said.

DeGrave said it was a vape cartridge that contained THC that took his brother's health.

"Within 24 hours, he was being medically sedated and being put in a medically induced coma," DeGrave said.

DeGrave said his brother, who is in his mid-20s, bought the vape vials off the street. His warning comes on the same day doctors at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin issued a similar alert.

"Vaping in teenagers is something that's harming our kids, and we want that to be loud and clear," said Dr. Michael Gutzeit, chief medical officer.

Children's Hospital treated eight patients in just four weeks with severe lung damage. All had a common thread of vaping.

"We don't have lot of information about the long-term effects and sometimes even the short-term effects," Gutzeit said.